Here at the southern edge of the Idaho Panhandle, “We’re a multi-species mill,” says Bennett Lumber Products head filer Larry Hager. “We cut lots of different species, and each one comes with a different brand of misery. Because we run a lot of different logs in here, our saws have to be set up to handle all of them.”

Some may think it’s impossible, but Accusaw’s recently developed training program takes filer candidates and moves them along to proficiency within a “fast track” process. Key to the program’s success is having good candidates who are willing to learn and have basic competencies. Reasons for hiring and training new filers from scratch begin with the very limited pool of experienced saw filers in industry.

When discussing band saw feed and speed issues, the majority of conversation is directed toward surface feet per minute (SFPM), plate thickness, kerf thickness, number of teeth per foot, area of gullet, tooth configurations, swage, tension, etc. But looking past these basic capacities and geometry, there are other controlling factors affecting feeds and speeds that are often overlooked.

Duane Trotter and Mike Croxall are relative newcomers to the pallet industry, but they’re busy revitalizing an established Choo Choo Pallets. The young entrepreneurs, both 37, bought the manufacturing and recycling company four years ago after selling a service company. “There was a big learning curve from service to manufacturing,” says Croxall. “We have a lot tied up in raw goods and accounts receivable. We weren’t used to that. Inventory control was another hard lesson learned.”

Fifty years ago, O.T. (Tommy) Fulghum, Jr. was felling a pine tree for his dad’s portable sawmill business, when the tree kicked back onto him, injuring his spinal cord and rendering his legs forever paralyzed. Fulghum was 20 years old. He had led an active life up to that point, working with his dad in the woods near their Wadley home, attending Georgia Military College, boxing in amateur circles, and basically approaching life with the philosophy that he could do anything he set out to do.

Armstrong’s new CNC top and face grinder combines an industrial grade Pentium computer with easy to operate touch screen electronic controls, brushless servomotors and precision ball screws. The result is a four-axis machine that will accurately grind the tops and faces of all rip and trim saws used in sawmills. Triple chip, alternate top and face or patterns of up to 10 teeth can easily be sharpened with this totally enclosed, flood-cooled machine.